Controlled in situ graft polymerization of DMAEMA onto cotton surface via SI-ARGET ATRP for low-adherent wound dressings

Traditional wound dressings such as cotton gauze and bandages are adhesive and often painful to detach from wounded skin, leading to additional damage to the wound. It is essential to develop low-adherent wound dressings for relief of pain and trauma in the wound healing process. In this work, a new methodology based on surface-initiated activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ARGET ATRP) was employed to fabricate hybrid cotton–hydrogel dressings via direct polymerization of poly( N , N -dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) hydrogel on the surface of cotton fibers. The chemical structure, hydrophilicity, peeling energy, stiffness, and cell adhesion behavior of the hybrid dressings were investigated to elucidate the relationship between their surface structure and properties. The resulting hybrid dressings exhibited good biocompatibility, excellent mechanical strength, and low adhesion, and provided a favorable environment to promote wound healing. These results suggest that low-adherent hybrid dressings can be obtained by grafting hydrogels, having great potential for use in wound care.